Left 4 Dead 2: Apocalypse Then
by Jayovac
Summary: Intertwining stories chronicle Ellis, Coach, Rochelle, and Nick as they trek across a country teeming with nightmarish horrors in this post-apocalyptic epic.
1. 1 to 4

**Left 4 dead 2: apocalypse then  
**

_**by Jayovac**_

_

* * *

_

**1. Ellis**

Ellis was sit in the chair reading a paperback book. He couldn't really read so he just look at pictures, but he couldn't find them neither so he just pretend to anyway.

Ellis was a young man of age twenty-nine who live in Savannah, Georgia small town, where he worked and own him own Auto Repair Shop. He went to local school but drope out in Senior year. He get GED and then go to Universal Technical Institute where they make him Auto Mechanic.

Ellis liked the cars. He and him Dad has restore and rebuilt 1972 Gran Torino. But then afterward Dad got sick and died. It was the tuberculosis. Ellis and him Mom and brother Tom bury his. Then when they got old, Tom move away to California to work in customer affairs. Ellis not talk to Tom in a long time, and was angry when mom pass away, too, because Tom never comes to funaral. He never write back either.

So Ellis was all alone in town now with no familys. He just run the shop, but times were hard adn not many business was happen. It is easier to go and dealership, apparently.

And now he always gets letter that say:

"We are going to turn you off. Pay us the money."

When that happen, he is not sure what to do. He cannot make the payment. So until them Ellis will enjoy the car work and try and make best of life.

Ellis start to sleep and dream and the book falls...

But then the door bell ring and he see car pull up outside. Ellis fall of chair in a startle. Then he got up and think they might need the service so he goes out to check. Oportunity to make money that he need, his head thoughtmake.

It was a blue Japonese car like Hyundai or Subaru. Ellis not like them cars because they have small enginges like four cylinders, and they have kill teh Economy of America cars like include the Prius.

"Y'all need some help?" Ellis shoutered from behind the door open but not all the way. He open door more to see.

Then then the car door open, then close and someone go out, and car drives away with screeching.

"That im weird," say Ellis. He turns around and...

**AMBUSH!**

A crazy man behind his surprise and jump on Ellis and beat him with fists. Ellis yell and pain was loud, but Ellis has the gun (it is South so he did) and fire once. It hit man and the blood goes and then he shoots agen and makes him dead in self-defence.

Ellis walk fast into the outside and look down road after car. Ellis pant and breathe hard. He look at gun then again at dead man.

But then he saw all the angry people run at him from top of the road.

— — —

**2. Coach**

Coach was stand at the foot of the field and watch him students perform the exercise technique he show them earlier. They look good, especially the young girls, he cannot help but notice. For it is instinct.

The wind was blow, and the humid make him loose weight but he did not pay attention. Instead, he watch the students begin to run now in the physical education.

It remind him of long time ago when he was a student, too. He was good atthlete in middle school like the one him at now. And then in High School, he became the best football play ever. His coach say to Coach one time, "You are the greatest player who ever live." But then during the big game, Coach ankle break in half-time and they loss the trophy. The humilaite came and he never made it to collage football. And even eventual pro-football. Then after High School he get job at janitor. Then he work way up to Middle School, where they give him the teaching posisstion because they respect his days in football team. The principal played with him once, and it was a close game.

The pain and regrets never left, though, and the day he still thinks about it like now...

"Coach!" one of the pretty girls shoot.

"What." Coach say. Him face become stoic to hide emotion inside.

"One of students have fall!" she say.

"I will...look into it." Coach say with quiet and look distantly away intothe swamp.

"No! You must!" she say with louder this time.

Then the announcuing speaker said, "This is the prinincpal. The school is now close because the army tell us to. Everyone go inside NOW!!!"

Coach turn around and with curuious, then he looked at the student that had fall.

Suddenly, he gets up and bite the girl who gave Coach the warning.

If only Coach listenes the first time...he now have to live with that for rest of life.

— — —

**3. Rochelle**

Rochelle sit in her office typing out big news story at the town newsstation.

The title say:

"Methampthematine is at all time high. Police stepe up proceudre."

Rochelle was top journalist at her reporting office. She growed up in Albequerere, New Meixco, where she lived for many years. Then she go to UC Irvine in California and get bachelor degree in writing. But then, the phone rang, and it waws sister back home. Mother's health was detoriate. It was diabetes. So came moved to Savannah, Georgia, which is ten hour drive not include traffic according to Google Map from New Orleans, to care for mom. Sister went away after and never spoke to or seen sense. It was good to help Mom but she knew she missed big journalism opportunty in California with CNN.

Rochelle grow up with no dad, and when she asked mom one time, mom say "him no good, rochelle." And it made her cry but now as adult, she did not care anymore.

But then tragedy stroke and the diabetes gets worse and the sugar was much too high. Rochelle's mom die and then was bury and Rochelle was left with not so good job and no money left from IRS take everything.

But Rochelle fight, like always and in the future too, and raise to the top. She became Head Report at the journalism. And she make good money for live in small town. Life was good...until today.

She stoped typing momentarily, just enough time and someone ran to her and say, "ROCHELLE! LOOK OUTSIDE! IT IS FIVE O'CLOCK NEWS!"

Rochelle get up and walk to wnidow. The horror spread across her face and the guy, who is cameraman, grabbed camera and began to film.

There were lots of cars crashing in the streets. And the screams were too much so she plugged ears with cottons. The fires started and the people ran. Then crazy people come like zombies, but dead people aren't exist because physics function, and start to hit and bite pepole in the street. The store glass break and some people run out with things they steal. But the zombie gets them too.

"What can I do," say cameraman. He is still shoot and him patience is palpable in the humid room.

"Get me the presi—"

Rochelle begin say but then the door downstairs break and she knew it all too well.

— — —

**4. Nick**

Nick sit in Casino room in La Fayette, Louisiana. He has the casual and suave dress cloths on. It make all the women, and some men too, lock at him often as he sit alone at the stool playing the game.

"Hit me," Nick say with smooth to the dealerman.

The smoke was float and the buffet was good but Nick could not afford it. In fact, Nick had severely gambling problem. Before he had his big con, where him tricked old lady's heart in Flordia to mary him and win the inheritance, he was force to play the penny slot.

Nick has growed up in Las Vegas, where he lived Aunt Marie. She was not good gardian, but it wasnt intentional neither. It was nature way. Him parents die in a tragic plane crash before. He never knew them, so it did not make him all that sad. But he think he not human to feel that way, so he often force self into cry for them.

Marie take him to the casions against law, and get him hooked to machine playing during young. But then Marie die when the robber come into the house. Nick came and shot him with a gun, but it wasn't in time.

Auntie Marie was already dead.

Then teh sorrow was incredible, and Nick dropped out of scohol because of it and became a drifter. He go across United Stats of America and work weird jobs for low paying. But he find out he can con people into lots of moemny, and so begin his gamble addiction.

"Hit me," Nick said, voice still smooth liek velevet.

"Sir, it am not good idea...WHAT!" the dealer guy yell.

But Nick was already gone. He takes the wallet when not looking. Buit the camera got him and the secruity were come.

Nick ran with the speed. He almost got door when it burst open already, and people come run inside. They were shout, "Monster! Monster!" and the scerams were loud. Nick get hand on the door but then the big guards come and hold him and say, "Come with us, sir..." and they pulled Nick away.

But then the door open again, and a blooded guy growl and mone.

"What is that!" one of the guards yell but was already being biten when the world came out.

Nick used the chance and ran, not knowing what await him outside.


	2. 5 to 6

5. Goverment Secrets

Blake Turner, united stats army general, look thoughtful at the screen like computer on the wall in top-secret military place. It is so secret even president doesn't know.

There was pictures and video of the contry he love with all him heart on fire. The cities, the towns, the baeutiful parks and Times Squared. It was all in catrastrophy now. The citizens he protekt in the war. Die or sick and crazy. The freedom. All because goverment plays God and makes the virus!

And it was all unloosed when a truck carries it in New York gets hit by a cab.

Blake Turner put his hands on head then made a fist and slam them on a table.

"Why! Why!" he exclammed angry.

"Sir?" say Sarah Selleck, assistant director of Civil Emergency Defense Agency. She was walk towerd him slow with hands fold behind her.

"What do you want," he said with an contemporary.

"I just want to let you know the national guards has start executes on the infected," she say quiet like soothing.

"And they have set up secruity in New Orleans safety zone and begins the evacuationing."

Blake Turner stand up and stamps foot.

"Fools," he say. "It is too late!" he sigh and the cynicals were there and she tried to ignore them but couldn't and small water come out from eye.

"What do american public think." Blake Turner inquire with interesting.

"They think it is powerful terrorists."

"And they do." he say and voice id low.

"What else?"

"All of New York is already dead."

Blake Turner felt the tears come but strongly pushed them gone. He loved New York, he grows up there and school too. But now it is all gone.

"How did it all go so wrong Sarah!" and he throws the coffee on the ground. It is hot and the steam go up slow.

"I do not know, sir."

Blake Turner jump back into him chair, spins once, and puts head down.

"Sir, I need your confirm for Mr. President." say Sarah again. "He wants to launch nuklaer weapons soon. If need to."

"OUTRAGEOUS!" shout Blake Turner and wave arms. He stand ups again.

"Fine. We are all dead anyway."

He takes the paper and signs it large like John Handcock signaturing.

"Thank you, sir." she say and start walk out slow.

"Will you bring more coffe?" and he brings the cup up to show her the no-coffee.

"Yes, sir."

"And Sarah..."

Sarah Selleck get quiet and wait for the inevitabel words.

"I'm glad you're teh one who tells me."

"Yes, sir."

And she walk out.

Blake Turner crassed his hands behinds his back. Then he made suer she was gone for good and locks door. He goes behind table and gets the gun out.

He puts it in head and shoots out the bullet.

The blood was too much for survival, and dies later at approximately 2300 hours.

6. The Distraction

Ellis was hide in the basement below Auto Repair Shop, but he has the gun too. Is cold in basement but he does not mind. Outside, there were people who want and make him dead. It is better to live then be warm, he supposing.

The door is locked but he knew they would get in if he doesn't stop them. So he puts big crate there with wood to hold door. But it will not hold forever. He has to make the escape plan, but how? And where?

He heard the screaming outside four hours ago. But if they are alive he doesn ot know. And he knows other the persons outside are no longer become human. Theyh growl and say not words. They are eating things too, and do not try and take the few moneys in register. It is impossible he is deducing, but it did not seem that way.

He knows because Ellis gets robbed before, and the man put him in a corner while he rob everything. Ellis was enrage and the fear came like a terrible dream and police do not show up for hours and when they do, they say they cannot help. Ellis takes the matters into him own hands, and purchase the gun. It is good gun and foil more robbing when aims the gun at them, but he has only shoot once.

And the shootnig vicim is now dead infront of Repair Shop. It made Ellis sick for a small time, but he isn't care anymore. There are far more pressing matters.

But now, the gun doesn't not have many bullets. So he must conserve. But he gets the idea from his head. He will make the destraction, give him time to run, and to save the bullelts. It is matter of life and death, so he thinks.

Then Ellis run over to small window, and aim the gun outside and it shake beacuse isn't sure of how good the shot. But he shoots anyway and at the gas tanks by the car he do the repairs on, and he hear the gasoline flow like spray all over. Then other craze people come to do the investigate.

He sees the fire beginning.

Ellis jump back and brace for the impaction.


	3. 7

7. The Destruction

Nick was been running straight for thirty-eight minutes.

The city fired and broke all the glass and there angry people like zombies chasing him earlier down the street. But he loosed them when goes around and hides behind a fiery car. And him suit got ash on it but he wiped it off. Him heart also beat furiously with terror and the adrenaline came quikly.

But now he had to rest because the run was far too intense. So Nick went inside a quiet park he finds and sit down in the swing sets like by bench.

Overhead, the fire keep going and smoke out the clousd and block the sun.

He put his hands on him knees like depressing and tarted to remember all good things before this happen.

There was a time when he was happy and his shape was good and he has a real life. He had a good job too working painting on cars for Maaco shop like in Omaha, Nebraska but not now. The money was good and when he come home, him girlfriend Jessica waws there to comfert him after an exhorting day of labor. Then, love after him eated all the dinner she cooks. But it did not last long because his gamble addiction spirel out of control like runaway train and things go crash around all over him. And then Jessie leaved and they lays him off the job. Then he lost the house and the car and he started drifting across Amerika again, just like so long before.

That had been two months before he meat Joan Overbeck in Flordia. She was a eighty-eight year old widow who husband died in Vietname war so long ago. At first it was a con but later it was not. She was sick of cancer and Nick taked cared of her. She called him Son and he liked to think she could be real mom him never knew. But then she died suudenly and Nick dealed with another tragic event.

But at the funeral, Nick recieved the whole family fortune from the fortune. And things were better but not so very much.

Nick sighed and started to cry for all the things he lossed over the years. Tears came forcefully out of the eyes but he could not stop them. He had the right to, anyways.

"Hello," Nick hears and then jumps with startled, clutch the gun titely.

"Do not be afraid, for I am just hear for a sit," and it was a woman who is beautiful, Nick cannot help think. But she look tired even though may be in her late twenties.

"I am Nick," Nick say and shaking her head.

"I am Julianne Simone," say the lady and took her hand back after shaking.

"What happens," say Nick.

"I do not know but it is eventful," she say with distance. "My husband and child were sick for so long time, then they die yesterday morning."

"My condlences."

"It is okay. Then this morning, I tried to escapp but I just find here and..." she started to a crying.

Nick felt like crying too but didn't.

"No, I am sorry." Julliane say. "It is just..."

"Do not explain yourself," he say triumphantly and stand up.

"Do you want and come?" say Nick. "We might die if doesn't."

"To where, I am frightening."

"Anywhere, but not here." he replying with shrug.

She nodded and took him hand again.

Nick was glad to find a good person, but he did not know what they would do when the time came.

Them the two walks out of the park as the world dieded around them.


	4. 8

**8. Hot Off the Press**

"Peter..." Rochelle wisper sad. Rochelle pull a blanket over the dead body of his.

All the angry people broke insider earlier. Peter, the camera guy, was still filming and when Rochelle shouts he did not listen.

Rochelle remembered the horrifying pain and torementing. Rochelle reported on the war once. She flows down to and she sees the death of innocence and civility. She saw them solders fight the battle and die, but the normal people did too. The blooded sand was and broke buildings. But still she will nver forget Peter's face when the people ran and beat him to die and he shout, "Rochelle! Help me! Help me!"

But Rochelle was not able not to help and she ran and hides in a closet instead.

Because the years of journalism taughted her: every man for himself.

This was what the world has become, she knew.

And now Rochelle beginning cry because she is alone in the office. All the angry people leaved earlier. She was glad and happy but she knows they were gone to kill other people and that made her sad too.

Suddenly, Rochelle goes up to the window and looks out because she hears a noise. She sees a man who wear hat and look like Scout from the Computer Game she played one time but no longer.

"Hello!" she yells very loud towerd him. But he does not hear. Then suddenly she sees twelve zobmies come at him. "No! Look out!" crying Rochelle.

Then the man turn around adn shotted at them, killing them death. Rochelle knew that for survival she must join the man and escape this place.

But then the tank music started to play and Ellis loked behind and saw a gigantic, muscular man running at him.

"RAAAAAH!" the big tank man yell loud.

"OVER HERE!" shout Rochelle and lowers the rope ladder. Ellis sees this time and runs to it, just in time. The tank throws rocks but they mise and crash the bilding explode instead.

Ellis climbs fastly up and inside the window.

"Close one," Rochelle.

Ellis nod and say," I am Ellis" and shakes hands with her.

"But we cannot stay here for long," Rochelle say sternly with him.

Then the rain started and litning sparked over the clouds.


	5. 9

9. Taking One For the Team

"WHY???????????"

Coach yelled his cry so loud that he was he began to cry.

All of him studens were dead.

After the principel tells them to go inside, Coach used his leadership to bring all of it class into the gym for safety. But it was not safe, and a spitter gets inside and shoots acid all on over his tudents.

Coach tried to help them, e rememvers the screamering, but he was not able to because the acid was there. So after he gets breaks the glass and yielding an axe after his students were kirled and finds the Spitter and cut her head off in revenegful angry.

And now, here he was, sitting in the gym as his students were dead by him.

He sighed and walks out the place beacause he could no longer accept it.

Coach remembers the girl that gived him the warning, and now the pain became unforgiveable. He felt another cry and let it out justly.

It make Coach especially angry because he knew he could not bury them properly in a funeral, and what would the parents?

But Coach knew it was the end of the world.

He ermembers one time as young when him grandmother reeds him the book of revelations. It make him scarred, but Coach knows it only make him strongger. Him power of Jesus will guide him through these dayhs of end, he knew.

But suddenly coach take the axe and a bunch of infected guys too. He tries to escape the school, but it was on fyre and he gets out into a street just as more infected came running at him.

Coach knew he was aobout to die so he begins to pray and Jets began to send bombs the on the ground.

But before he culd, a car with for doors pulls up.

"Get in." said Nick and Julianne Simone opens the door.


	6. 10

**10. Home on the Highway**

"Thank you," Coach told them, leaning forward in his seat and placing his hands on his knees. "Thank you both…so much."

"Sure," Nick said and shot him a glance. He noticed with real humor that this fellow took up just about all of the rear seat. Nick was glad, though, glad to know there were still others than himself and Julie. Folk that were still alive and sane and healthy. Well, you could probably argue that this burly black was beyond your ideal standard of healthy, but he was alive with his psyche intact. That was all that really mattered to Nick. And he supposed that this was no time to pick and choose, anyway.

"No…really," Coach began, still panting. "Appreciate it."

"Sure," Nick repeated. He turned to Julianne and grinned, and she gave him a bit of a nervous smile. Nick unbuckled himself and turned again, now facing Coach. He was breathing in short little gasps, and Nick was convinced that this man was on the verge of losing it. A thought occurred to him: What if this guy ends up having a heart attack, stroke, or something in here? It's not going to do us any good lugging his corpse around.

"You…you okay? You're holding in there?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. Just. Just go."

"You're sur—"

"Yeah. Start driving."

Nick put it in drive, stomped the accelerator, and the Lexus lurched forward. Within seconds they were cruising steadily down a street that seemed, for the most part, empty.

"So, what's your name?" Nick said, his eyes glued to the road.

"Coach," he said.

"Is that…the first or the last?" Nick asked, genuinely curious.

"Just Coach."

"All right, well, I'm Nick. This is Julie."

Nick paused. He was expecting Julianne to say something, a reactionary comment of sorts, after mentioning her name, but she said nothing.

"Again," Coach said. "I'm glad to meet you both."

Coach offered up his hand, extending it across the console. Although to Nick this seemed to be more customary than practical in this cramped cabin. In his peripheral, he saw that Julianne had taken the man's hand. And he could hear—though sounding distant, as if he was eavesdropping—them exchanging the obligatory introductions.

That was good, he thought, really good. Because it struck him sort of funny: Julianne hadn't wanted to stop.

They had seen Coach huddled over the sidewalk, as if praying, a building bellowing smoke not far behind him. Keep going, Nick, Julianne had said. _Don't stop for him. Please. _While Nick considered his own moral compass long since broken, he knew he couldn't have done that. After all of this destruction, all of this death, to add another to the list of casualties would be…

I should tell him, Nick thought suddenly. _Tell him she wanted to look the other way. Tell him she just wanted to leave you there…but…what good is that going to do? _If anything, that'd wind up making their situation worse. So he decided to keep this bit to himself.

Nick supposed he was frustrated with Julie, that was all.

Since he'd met Julianne in the park, she'd gone from seemingly independent (the sort of person he felt deserved sympathy; she'd lost two people very dear to her, after all) to downright useless, catatonic even.

When they had been walking down Castillo Avenue, a few miles from the park, he'd had to practically carry her. She had suddenly refused to walk, answering his pleas to keep moving in brief, undignified responses. Like a bitter child that hadn't gotten her way. Not only had she been risking her own life, she had been risking _his_ as well. That had angered him. That had really pissed him off, and he'd truly considered leaving her, leaving her in the middle of the road among all of the wrecked cars and corpses. Had he gone through with it, well, he would've wound up no better than her for later wanting to leave Coach. But after some time, he'd gotten her to move. All it had taken was a hand clamped around her wrist and a couple of good tugs.

Although Nick could easily see why this transformation had taken place, he still hated it. He hated people who couldn't hold their own—if they were capable of doing so, that is, and she had seemed pretty damn capable. Yes, the situation was absolutely horrific and shocking. Yes, it was unimaginable, but still. This shouldn't be the time to buckle. At least not yet.

"What happened?" Coach said. He seemed to lower his voice on the second word. "I mean, what is all this shit?"

They passed a strip mall, the storefront windows shattered, the broken glass glittering like a spray of gems.

"The end of times," Nick said and offered a little nod. "That's what it's looking like to me."

"No," Julianne said, catching both Nick and Coach off guard. "It's not. Not at all."

"Huh?"

"This," she said. "…This is just a transition."

"Not so sure about that, hon," Nick said and turned sharply to the right, swinging the Lexus around more stalled cars blocking an intersection.

"And these people. What's wrong with these people?" Coach continued, as if Julianne hadn't spoken.

"I don't know," Nick admitted. "I, or I mean we, we haven't seen anyone in a while, though. That matters the most. Right Julie?"

She looked at him with dull eyes and said nothing.

"Guess so." Coach answered.

"Yeah, well…" Nick said and trailed off. "I can't really say myself. What's happened to them, I mean. Julie thinks it's like a flu or a parasite or something. I don't know. I guess I agree with it. Everybody who's been sick, they ended up changing, or so we're guessing."

"Lots of people been sick lately. Calling off, staying home." Coach noted.

"Yeah. So I, we, decided on trying for Atlanta."

"Why? What's there?"

"The Center for Diseases...Disease Control. Julie thinks they might be able to, you know, deal with stuff like this."

Nick had to give Julie credit; this was all her plan, even if he wasn't entirely hopeful of its premise. He glanced over at her. Her eyes were closed. Trying to sleep, he hoped.

"Sounds good to me."

"Ah, shit."

Nick eased the Lexus to a halt.

"Look."

They did, all three of them. They had come to a stop near a freeway on-ramp. The ramp, as well as the highway itself, was choked crazily with bereaved vehicles. Only some had actually crashed, Nick saw, others had apparently been stopped and left behind as their drivers had fled. Fled from either the crazy people, or simply left due to the fact that this artery for escape was no longer accessible by car.

Although his heart said otherwise, Nick didn't want to do the same. If they wanted to find another way, they'd have to retrace their steps, and this was currently one of the most convenient—possibly even safest—ways leading to the I-16. And just how many other on-ramps and turn-offs back there were blocked by eternal traffic jams as well?

"So, what'd you guys think?" Nick asked. "We, obviously, can't drive through this."

"We can walk," Julie said softly.

That's better, Nick thought. She's actually contributing.

"Yeah, yeah." Coach said. "I don't know. Going back ain't looking so good right about now. Could be the same all over. We can get over these cars here just fine. Then we keep going on the highway, it clears up, and we get another car."

"I…I have no objections either way, if you do end up wanting to go around. You know, look for another way." Nick said.

"I don't see anyone." Julie said matter-of-factly.

"You never know. They could be hid—"

"No," Coach said. "Don't think so either. They don't strike me as the hiding type."

"All right," Nick said. "Is that what you guys really want?"

He looked at Julie. She nodded quickly, her auburn hair bouncing a little, that glazed look in her eyes gone. Of that, he was glad.

Then Nick looked at Coach. Coach gave him a half-shrug and said yes.

"Well, then. Let's get going."


End file.
